Welcome to the Byway Creative Blog! I am Kaylan Petrie, creative entrepreneur and owner of Byway Creative. How did that happen, and what is Byway Creative? Just a few months ago I was in my third year of working a nine to five, 40 hour work week that was only two miles away from home. I worked for a print shop as a pre-press technician. The first year or so I made decent money, learned a ton, and met some wonderful people. Sounds okay right? Well maybe for awhile.

As all of you hard workers out there know, paychecks start to stay the same, people change, and those rewarding things you learn become a boring routine.

Focus was impossible…

Me, A Brief History

Growing up I spent a lot of time in the woods of Northern Michigan, and have always had a lasting connection with Mother Nature. I was only 14 when I got my first job where I worked for an outdoor recreation organization. After high school, I worked my way through college and graduated from Eastern Michigan University with my BFA. I have worked for all kinds of different businesses, gradually trying to get to something I loved doing everyday. I tend to look at employment as a profitable paid tuition, so I have always taken my jobs very seriously and do my best.

I always learn from my mistakes, observe and take note when others fail, and take in every bit of knowledge I think will be useful for the future.

Art, Nature, Travel & Loved Ones

After 17 years working for others, I realized that I still wasn’t where I wanted to be. In an attempt to create me, I submitted a notice of resignation to the print shop in September 2015 and began planning a major life renovation. No one can deny that the best things in life are always custom. I wondered if I could create a custom career for myself. It took me weeks of careful thought about what inspired me and what I loved most.

This is what I figured out about myself:

My heart and soul belong to art, nature, and loved . My time belongs to loved ones and travel.

Determined to find a path that would allow me to somehow devote my myself to these passions, I came up with a way to combine everything into one concept — Byway Creative.

Byway Creative 2016 | All Rights Reserved

Starting a Business

Quitting my cozy nine to five is still probably the most frightening thing I have ever done. Now, it’s January 2016 and I am still not sure where this new adventure will take me. I may fail and that’s okay, but how could I not try? The rewarding things like launching my website, having my first contract signed, writing this blog, and having THE Smokey the Bear follow me on Twitter, make all the risks I have taken well worth the ominous fear of failure that surrounds me daily.

By and By

Thank you so much for reading. Please visit again for more thoughts and adventures that will include topics on art, nature, travel, and more. Check out my work at the Byway Creative Website and follow me on social media: